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Visa Token Service

A unifying platform for mobile and digital payments.

Offer more ways to pay

Visa Token Service can help you build and maintain your digital payment experiences while protecting consumers’ sensitive information from fraud. As more consumers come to expect mobile payment solutions, Visa Token Service provides three essential tools to help you meet the demand.

Visa Developer Platform

Contactless payment solutions

Contactless mobile transactions are leading the next wave of digital payments, and Visa Token Service can make them simple and secure. With Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and Visa payWave, secure purchases are as easy as the wave of a hand.

Apple Pay

Make convenient, on-the-go purchases with compatible iOS devices.

Google Pay

Google Pay is a fast, simple way to pay with your Visa in stores and in-app.

Samsung Pay

A safe and simple way to make purchases with your Visa compatible Samsung devices.

Fitbit Pay

Pay right from your wrist with Fitbit Ionic, no phone or wallet necessary.

Garmin pay

eCommerce solutions

Make it easier for cardholders to pay online with a secure, simplified process that quickly moves customers from cart to conversion.

Visa Checkout

Visa Checkout makes it easier for your cardholders to pay online. Consumers create an account once and then speed through checkout with a single login, without having to re-enter their card or shipping details at every visit.

Use VRM to configure risk decisioning rules that Visa will apply to incoming token provisioning requests on your behalf

Get started with the Visa Digital Enablement Program

Visa’s Digital Enablement Program (VDEP) simplifies the way you offer innovative payment solutions. With streamlined access to Visa Token Service, VDEP connects financial institutions and technology companies so that you can offer payment options with Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Visa Checkout all in one go.

One-time integration

Connect quickly and easily with no need for multiple technology integrations.

Simple and scalable framework

Drive growth through a simple, scalable plan with no pass-through fees.

Robust protection

Receive a powerful combination of security and consumer data protections.

Access to partnerships

Participate with a fast-growing number of technology partners.

Q + A

Answers to commonly asked questions about Visa Token Service.

Payment tokenization is the process of replacing the traditional payment card account number with a unique digital token in online and mobile transactions. Tokens can be restricted for transactions with a specific mobile device, merchant or transaction type. The tokenization process happens in the background in a way that is invisible to the consumer.

In October 2013, Visa, MasterCard and American Express proposed a new standard for digital payments. EMVCo - the global standards organization that oversees EMV specifications to ensure interoperability and acceptance - has since built on this framework with input from EMVCo’s members and the industry to advance availability and adoption of tokens around the world. EMVCo published the initial version of the specification in March 2014. The development of a global standard will help enable a new generation of payment products, while maintaining compatibility with the existing payments infrastructure.

We live in a “connected” world. As more consumers make purchases online with smart phones, tablets and PCs, the payments industry is focused on delivering a safe, secure, simple and consistent consumer purchasing experience, regardless of where they are and what device they are using. The development of a global standard will help enable a new generation of payment products, while maintaining compatibility with the existing payments infrastructure.

EMVCo, the global standards organization that oversees EMV specifications, has expanded its scope to also develop tokenization specifications. EMVCo has built the framework with input from EMVCo’s members and the industry as we collectively seek to advance availability and adoption of tokens around the world. EMVCo published the initial version of the specification in March 2014.

Tokens help to simplify the purchasing experience for consumers by largely eliminating the need to enter and re-enter the account number when shopping on a smart phone, tablet or PC. Tokens can also help prevent fraud in e-commerce and m-commerce transactions by removing sensitive card account information from the payment process. Finally, merchants and digital payment providers can store payment tokens in place of payment account numbers, this further enhances payment security.

Payment tokens can also include additional data fields to provide richer information about the transaction helping to improve transaction efficiency and security, and provide more information about the circumstances under which the transaction was initiated.

Industry standard

Visa participated in the development of a cross-industry standard which provides a globally consistent approach to payment tokens. Elements of the standard include token creation and de-tokenization, new data fields in authorization, clearing and settlement, and token identification and verification services.

VisaNet processing

In April, Visa published mandatory changes by June 2014 (as outlined in April 2014 Technical Letter).

All U.S. VisaNet endpoints must be capable of recognizing and processing payment token-related data; a critical step in migration to payment token processing.

Visa Payment Token Service

Visa has developed a token service which is expected to be available to issuers in late 2014. The service will also help issuers manage the life cycle of payment tokens, as well as detokenize a Visa-created token when necessary. It can also support issuance of multiple tokens for a single account, each tied to a specific mobile device or service. The Visa token service is expected to be commercially available in late 2014. The service will align with the requirements outlined in the EMVCo specification.

A virtual card is typically a one-time use account number that can be used for online purchases. A token can be used for multiple purchases, and can be restricted in how it is used with a specific merchant, device, transaction or category of transactions.

Issuers should see a decrease in e-commerce and m-commerce fraud and its associated costs (fraud losses, exception handling, customer service and card re-issuance).

Acquirers and processors should experience a reduced threat of sensitive cardholder data being usable by fraudsters if compromised.

Merchants and their service providers should experience a reduced threat of sensitive payment data being usable by fraudsters if compromised. Merchants will also have a powerful tool that will allow them to develop innovative retail experiences without the burden of handling this sensitive payment account data.

Tokens help to simplify the purchasing experience for consumers by largely eliminating the need to enter and re-enter the account number when shopping on a smart phone, tablet or PC.

A Technical Letter issued in October 2013 included specifications for U.S. VisaNet endpoints to enable the minimum data fields. Clients with U.S. VisaNet endpoints are required to enable the minimum data fields that will be needed to ensure payment tokens can be recognized and processed seamlessly across the Visa ecosystem by June 2014. These mandatory modifications were part of the April 2014 VisaNet Business Enhancement Release and were aimed at ensuring all VisaNet endpoints - U.S. acquirer processors, acquirers, merchants, issuer processors and issuers that are directly connected to Visa - are keeping pace with industry developments in digital payments.

With efforts accelerating in the U.S. marketplace to enable streamlined digital payments, these system modifications are an important first step to ensure all Visa clients - regardless of scale or capability - will be able to recognize payment tokens passing over their systems and process them effectively. Marketplace activity in the U.S. creates a need for these requirements to first be implemented in the U.S.; Visa is in the process of developing a roadmap for VisaNet processing support for tokens globally.

This is a global initiative and the service is based on a proposed global standard. However, the initial implementation will be in the U.S. More information regarding Visa’s deployment in other countries as the rollout continues.